Who is Your Lord? 5 Keys to Full-time Faith Part 2

May 2, 2019

Who is Your Lord? We go into full-time ministry when Jesus is our answer. Full-time ministers report to Jesus full-time. They help others move one notch closer to Jesus. As his followers, our lives are on display. When we serve others because we follow Jesus, we understand and experience the joy of following him. And our joy can be contagious.

In 1 Peter 3:15, the Apostle Peter laid out a plan for a ministry lifestyle where we draw nearer to God and then interact with our friends when they ask.

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

Peter says our first key is to “set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts” (from the NET Bible) or “honor Christ the Lord as holy,” from the ESV above. What does it mean to when we say Jesus is Lord?

What is a “Lord”?

I would say most readers have no experience living under the rule of an absolute monarch. Most kings and queens have little impact on the daily lives of average people. But there was a time when a king or his representative could demand that those in their kingdom do whatever they ask. Kings could take your possessions, or force you into work. They could levy taxes and you had no say one way or the other.

Jesus didn’t ask us to follow him like he’s our best-friend-for-life on Facebook. Jesus said the kingdom of God was here, at hand (Matthew 3:2 and Matthew 4:17). If the kingdom of God is in our midst, that kingdom demands we subordinate our life to him as King. So, our job is to do what he wants.

When Christ is our Lord, we ask him for directions (pray) and we listen to his word. Since he’s our Lord, we read his instructions and we do what he says. We consistently, and regularly train ourselves and bend our lives to doing what Jesus says, or we will simply do what we want all the time. Training ourselves to follow Jesus requires desire, time, and persistence.

Which King?

But we want to be king. We make our own choices and we do pretty much what we want. We don’t acknowledge anyone as having authority over us. Basically, we want to watch what we want, and do what we want. And God created us with the freedom and the power to do just that, for a time.

Everything depends on Jesus being our Lord. Our life and our actions won’t look different if Jesus isn’t our Lord, so no one will ask about our life or think we’re different. And we can’t give much of an answer if Jesus isn’t our Lord. The hope that is in us might be visible, but Jesus won’t be the answer for our hope either. So our words won’t represent Christ or his kingdom if we’re still operating in our own kingdom.

Who is Your Lord?

When we settle in our heart that Christ is our Lord, then we’re in a position to join him full-time as he ministers to our friends and coworkers. Have you set Christ apart as Lord in your heart? Would you like to join Jesus in full-time ministry? Start now on a temporary trial in a Marketplace Mission Trip. Let me know if you have questions. We’d be happy to help.

Practice asking God to direct your actions. Ask him to show you what he wants you to do. Maybe you can buy someone’s lunch or write a thank you note. Or learn more about the people you work with. You never know who Jesus wants you to serve or how, until you ask. Practice living in Jesus’ kingdom today.

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Mike Henry Sr.

Mike Henry Sr. is the CEO and Lead Instigator of Follower of One. He loves to challenge Jesus-followers to make a positive difference. His mission is to elevate purpose and mobilize people and his goal is to live his life as a full-time minister, regardless of his occupation.